Tuesday, September 01, 2009

Happy Anniversary, Animal Cruelty!

It seems to me that the better you get at doing one thing, the worse you get at doing everything else. All the time you spend practicing and refining one skill robs you of the time you could have spent pursuing other interests. Consider the example of Bette Midler. She sings, she dances, she acts… but there is a 100-percent chance that Bette Midler is not your favorite actress and dancer AND recording artist, because to excel at one thing, she has had to accept an unavoidable level of mediocrity at everything else. With that in mind, don’t you wonder what Bette Midler excels at? It’s certainly not anything I’ve seen her do... unless wrecking a figurative train is a notable skill.I mention this talent based give-and-take because it’s so clearly evident in the comparison of these two drawings that I did 25 years apart. As you can see, my ability to draw consistently-sized tires has improved dramatically, but while mastering that skill, my attention to hubcap detail has suffered. I’ve also found that the effort I’ve put into improving my drawing skill over the years has had an adverse effect on some of my other talents, such as my ability to read, to resist sugary snacks, or to care about what other people are saying. I don’t miss those things, though. Life goes on without them.My first thought when I found this old drawing was, “What’s in the box?” The unfortunate answer: Dalmatian puppies. This is precisely why you’ll never hear of anyone giving an entire box of free puppies to a rabbit. Happy 25th Anniversary to my unique understanding of "animal cruelty."

17 comments:

It was funny to see the drawing comparison. What were you, 8, 9, when you drew that first drawing? That's not too shabby. I still wouldn't be able to pull off that first drawing. But then, I like to read.

I think I saw that rabbit once. He is about the meanest animal alive. They used him in Monte Python's Search for the Holy Grail, and lost a few good actors due to that mistake. But to throw boxes of dalmations out of a moving vehicle is even more callous than attacking girly actors with only prop swords for their defense. Thank you for once again alerting the public on the dangers of this world. If it hadn't been for your timely information in the past, I might have swam with some killer whales. Now as I pass every car on the backroads of America I will be vigilant of rogue rabbits.

I really love your work.very inspiring.I'd love to learn how do you come across creating a great art like yours. If you have a chance ,please check it out and leave a comment telling me what you think.